Monitoring the content and intake of trace elements from food in Denmark

Abstract

The content of cadmium, lead, nickel, mercury and selenium in 83 foods was monitored from 1993 to 1997. In comparison with similar results from 1988 to 1992, a general decrease in lead levels had occurred, whereas the contents of cadmium, nickel, mercury and selenium were stable or declined only slightly. The distribution in dietary intake of the five trace elements was estimated by combining the mean trace element concentrations with food consumption data from 1837 Danes aged 15-80 years. The lead intake for 1993-97 showed a decrease in comparison with similar estimates from the previous monitoring cycles: 1983-87 and 1988-92. The intake of cadmium and mercury decreased to a lesser extent, whereas the intake of selenium and nickel remained unchanged in the same period. The dietary intake of trace elements was compared with the provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI). The 95th percentile of the distribution in cadmium intake amounts to 34% of PTWI, which is relatively high, and therefore calls for a more detailed future risk assessment. The intakes of lead and mercury were 11% of PTWI and, like the intake of nickel, did not cause any health concern in the adult population. The Danes ingest close to 100% of the Nordic Nutrition Recommendation for selenium at 50 microg day(-1), and no individuals had an intake less than the lower limit of 20 microg day(-1).

The influence of strain and age on some egg quality parameters of commercial laying hens

“…The nickel levels obtained in pig liver in this study parallel those reported in the literature: Finland (< 20 μg/100g, Nuurtamo et al, 1980), Sweden (11 μg/100g, Jorhem et al, 1989), Denmark (17 μg/100g, ranged from 14 to 139 μg/100g, Larsen et al, 2002) and Spain (9 μg/100g, ranged from not detected to 31 μg/100g, Lopez-Alonso et al, 2007). Not much data are available for nickel content of pig liver in many countries.…”

Survey of total mercury and arsenic content in infant cereals marketed in Spain and estimated dietary intake

“…(33.5 % of TWI), in accordance with the established PTWI percentages for total diet studies (1.6-36 %, Lee et al, 2006;Nasreddine et al, 2006;Larsen et al, 2002;Ysart et al, 1999;Urieta, Jalon, & Eguileor, 1996;Becker, & Kumpulainen, 1991) which considered that the largest source of mercury contamination lies in fish and shellfish.…”

Systemic contact dermatitis after oral exposure to nickel: a review with a modified meta‐analysis

“…On the basis of the result from the last analysis, exposure doses corresponding to response rates of 50% (ED 50 ), 25% (ED 25 ), 10% (ED 10 ), 5% (ED 5 ) and 1% (ED 1 ) of exposed nickel-sensitive eczema patients were calculated ( Table 2). These calculations predict that an oral nickel exposure with 0.22 mg, 0.35 mg or 0.53 mg nickel (depending on which dose-response curve is used) will make 1% of nickel-sensitive patients respond.…”

“…The doses used in the studies vary from 0.3 mg to 5.6 mg nickel (Table 1), while normal daily dietary nickel intake has been found to vary from 0.02 mg to 0.48 mg nickel (21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31)(32). However, some studies have shown that an exposure dose equivalent to the maximal nickel exposure through the diet (0.9 mg nickel per day) (21) can induce systemic reactions in some nickel-sensitive individuals (6,8,9,13,20).…”